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Residents learn to report bad weather

Published: Thursday, February 6, 2014 at 10:59 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, February 6, 2014 at 10:59 p.m.

About 25 residents learned Thursday night about reporting severe weather to the National Weather Service.

The Terrebonne Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness held a SkyWarn meeting in Houma to help people identify severe weather and report it so that other residents can benefit from the information.

Officials of the National Weather Service said the sophisticated technology it uses can go only so far in helping them monitor the progress of really bad weather.

"We see a lot of information on our radar that lets us know that something adverse is going on," said Frank Revitte, National Weather Service warning coordination meteorologist. "But when we get reports from the ground, it gives us confidence in our radar and information that we may not have had."

Of particular importance to the agency is the reporting of storms with 1-inch or greater size hail, wind gusts of 58 mph, flash flooding and tornadoes. Among the more than 100 storms a year in south Louisiana, only a few of them are considered severe, Revitte said.

"In Louisiana there's always going to be street flooding. But if you notice an abnormally flooded area, tell us about it. If you see dime-sized hail we want to know about it," Revitte said.

Tornadoes are infrequently seen in the area but still a concern, he said. He showed examples of funnel clouds, the different sizes of tornadoes and videos depicting the damage they can cause.

"We mostly see weak tornadoes. ... They touch down for a few miles at most," he said. "If you're in a well-built house, windows may be blown out, shingles may be torn off, but the structure should still be standing. If you're in a mobile home or a prefabricated building you might be in danger.

"We're not looking for storm chasers. If you see a tornado, get inside and get on the lowest floor in the interior room of an interior hallway. Put as many walls between you and the outside as you can," Revitte said.

Revitte urges people to report sightings of tornadoes or any of the other signs of severe weather to the National Weather Service office in Slidell at 985-649-0357 or 504-522-7330 or a local emergency management or law enforcement agency.

<p>About 25 residents learned Thursday night about reporting severe weather to the National Weather Service.</p><p>The Terrebonne Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness held a SkyWarn meeting in Houma to help people identify severe weather and report it so that other residents can benefit from the information.</p><p>Officials of the National Weather Service said the sophisticated technology it uses can go only so far in helping them monitor the progress of really bad weather.</p><p>"We see a lot of information on our radar that lets us know that something adverse is going on," said Frank Revitte, National Weather Service warning coordination meteorologist. "But when we get reports from the ground, it gives us confidence in our radar and information that we may not have had."</p><p>Of particular importance to the agency is the reporting of storms with 1-inch or greater size hail, wind gusts of 58 mph, flash flooding and tornadoes. Among the more than 100 storms a year in south Louisiana, only a few of them are considered severe, Revitte said.</p><p>"In Louisiana there's always going to be street flooding. But if you notice an abnormally flooded area, tell us about it. If you see dime-sized hail we want to know about it," Revitte said.</p><p>Tornadoes are infrequently seen in the area but still a concern, he said. He showed examples of funnel clouds, the different sizes of tornadoes and videos depicting the damage they can cause. </p><p>"We mostly see weak tornadoes. ... They touch down for a few miles at most," he said. "If you're in a well-built house, windows may be blown out, shingles may be torn off, but the structure should still be standing. If you're in a mobile home or a prefabricated building you might be in danger.</p><p>"We're not looking for storm chasers. If you see a tornado, get inside and get on the lowest floor in the interior room of an interior hallway. Put as many walls between you and the outside as you can," Revitte said.</p><p>Revitte urges people to report sightings of tornadoes or any of the other signs of severe weather to the National Weather Service office in Slidell at 985-649-0357 or 504-522-7330 or a local emergency management or law enforcement agency.</p>